“The whole world is mourning the profound loss of a graceful and obedient Queen who devoted her whole life to the service of our country and the Commonwealth when she ascended the throne at the age of 25,” Lecce said in a statement on Thursday.
“We have made clear our direction that all schools must recognize the profound impact of Queen Elizabeth’s lifelong and unwavering commitment to public service.”
His comments come after an “advice sheet” was distributed to headteachers in York region, which advised that discussions about the Queen could be “incendiary” and that the topic should be avoided.
“If students do not initiate discussions on this topic, please keep the focus on their interests and learning in the classroom,” advises the memo, a copy of which was obtained by CTV News Toronto.  “It is important that schools remain neutral environments.  Staff bringing up the subject of the death of a prominent social figure in a classroom may be a trigger for some students and remind them of past losses they have experienced, so it is not encouraged.’
The memo further asked school staff to “refrain from developing tributes or activities to commemorate the Queen’s death, as well as displaying items relating to the Queen for memorial purposes”.
He advised against playing ‘God save the Queen’ or live-streaming events surrounding the Queen’s death, as “this may be perceived differently by different members of your school community” and noted that “monarchies are steeped in problematic stories of colonialism that are linked together in the ongoing present day oppression of individuals and groups’.
A Lecce spokesman said on Thursday that he had spoken to all school board presidents, principals and council leaders and expressed the expectation that all schools would take part in a minute’s silence at 1pm on September 19, the day the queen’s state funeral.  held.  However, students who do not wish to participate do not have to.
“I have mandated this board to implement the expectations of the province, to honor the Queen on the date of her funeral and to enrich students with a strong understanding of the values ​​and lasting legacy of Canada’s constitutional democracy,” Lecce told the his statement.
In a statement to CP24, the YRDSB said its focus “is always to ensure children are supported while in our classrooms.”
The board noted that “in an area as wealthy as ours, there will be different reactions to the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death,” but said it would comply with new provincial guidance on commemorating her death. 
While millions mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her death has also reignited debate about the continued importance of the monarchy in many countries and renewed debate in some places that have a complicated and troubled history with Great Britain.
An Angus Reid survey conducted earlier this year found that most Canadians (63 per cent) had a positive view of the queen herself, although views of other members of the royal family were less favorable.
While polls have recorded mixed feelings about Canada’s continued ties to the monarchy, the British sovereign remains Canada’s head of state and no serious proposals to sever ties have been made by federal politicians in recent memory.
Premier Doug Ford said earlier this week that while Ontario will not have a holiday to mark the queen’s funeral, the province will observe a day of mourning, with a minute of silence at 1 p.m. for those who wish to observe it.